Have you always wanted to take a family trip somewhere more exotic than Aunt Carol’s house or the nearest national park? Of course, but the average family travel budget doesn’t always have room for extravagant tropical getaways.

So is a week or two in paradise just a pipe dream for your clan? Not at all! Coconut Bay’s Splash Resort — our wing for the young at heart — has plenty of affordable packages throughout the year. The key to making it happen is to have a little bit of discipline and a savvy saving strategy.

Brown Bag It

We know you probably saw this one coming. But if you do nothing else to save for your Caribbean vacation, you may still make your goal by not eating out. If you want to aim small, just eliminate lunches out.

According to Visa’s 2013 Lunch Spending Survey, the average American spends almost $1,000 on eating out for lunch each year. Assuming two adults are in your family, that’s $2,000 you could save each year by simply brown-bagging it to work.

Set up a Dedicated Vacation Savings Account

Think about putting your savings in a sort of vacay vault — a separate savings account that you’re not as tempted to dip into. The idea is to make the funds harder to access and separate from your regular checking or savings account.

Plus, you have the bonus of being able to monitor your progress for motivation as your balance increases. If you’re really serious, think about setting up automatic transfers from your paychecks so you don’t have to lift a finger to stow money away.

Get the Kids Involved

This is a group effort! Your kids are sure to love our Cocoland waterpark and Kidz Klub so it’s only fair that they help make sure it happens. If your kids are old enough, encourage them to pick up odd jobs here and there.

Mowing lawns, babysitting, dog-walking…whatever they can find. To motivate them, set up a jar around the house where they can store their earnings for deposit into the Caribbean vacation savings account you just created.

Remember, saving for a vacation requires a good offensive, but Coconut Bay can help you with the defensive by keeping the cost of your getaway reasonable. Plus, there are so many activities to enjoy with your vacation fund here at Coconut Bay, such as an oceanfront massage, a sunset cruise with the whole family, a snorkeling adventure and much more. Happy saving and we’ll see you soon!